What's Left Unsaid
by angel74
Summary: Ron and Hermione are worried about their best friend after everything that has happened. They decide to investigate whether or not Harry is truly "fine" at the Dursleys. What they discover was worse than they ever expected.
1. A Letter From Surrey

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What is Left Unsaid

**By:** angel74

**Summary: **AU. This story takes place during the summer after OoTP. Ron and Hermione are worried about their best friend after everything that has happened. They decide to take matters into their own hands and investigate whether or not Harry is truly "fine" at the Dursleys. What they discover was worse than they ever expected.

**Disclaimer:** This piece of fan fiction is for entertainment, and no profit is being made. I do not own Harry Potter or any other of J.K. Rowling's wonderful characters. I only wish to play with them for a while. I will give them back when I'm done.

**Genre:** angst and hurt/comfort

**Pairing:** If you squint and turn your head a bit, you might see the makings of a trio fic in here, though it's all very innocent. If that's not your thing, this is mainly Ron/Hermione.

**Rating:** T (for a small amount of violence and implied child abuse)

A/N: From what I remember from canon, I don't think Hermione knows very much about Harry's home life and that there could have been things that Ron and Harry had kept secret from her. What if there was a lot left unsaid? If I'm wrong about this, just go with it. I'm sure I'm taking quite a few liberties here. This originally began as a one-shot but it grew so long, I decided to upload it as eight short chapters which I hope to update daily. The chapters are only told from Ron and Hermione's POV so there will be a lot that will be tacit as to what actually is going on with Harry. As with all my stories, this is one big angst fest. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 1- A Letter from Surrey**

There were few things Hermione enjoyed more than reading, and so when she found the opportunity to indulge herself with the written word she took full advantage of it. Contrary to popular belief, she wasn't obsessed with school books in general. She just loved to read.

Hermione sighed peacefully as she become engrossed with her book. She allowed the words to wash over her, let her mind to drift listlessly, and got lost in the worlds of fantasy and mystery. It was a chance to escape and to forget all her troubles. A chance for just a moment to squelch that nagging feeling that something may not be right in her little world. A chance to hope, that like the characters in her beloved novels, her friends might someday get their happy ending. But with the recent death of Sirius and the worry she felt deep in her heart for her best friend… hope was a precious commodity.

She lay comfortably against a pile of pillows, resting against the headboard of Ginny's antique bed. It was the only moment of peace she had had since she had arrived to the Burrow a few days ago and she was thoroughly enjoying it. As an only child, Hermione found that staying with the Weasleys took some getting used to. She loved them all dearly, but the house was always rather noisy. It was nice to escape into solitude when she had the chance.

Her own cot across the room had been quickly forgotten as she opted to lie in Ginny's bed instead. She knew her friend wouldn't mind. Positioned near the window, the warmth of the rays of the sun shone down on her lap, illuminating the text she was reading. A cool breeze wafted through the open window bringing with it the sounds of birds chirping and insects humming in the trees. She was in such a state of tranquility, mesmerized by the words neatly typewritten on each page, that she couldn't help but be completely startled when Ron came barging into the room abruptly.

"Hermione!" he said excitedly.

"Ron! You scared me half to death!" she shouted back, having nearly fallen off the bed and inadvertently tossed her book into the air.

Ron laughed at her frenzied appearance. "Sorry, but this is important!" he insisted.

Hermione straightened her now frazzled hair and then crossed her arms over her chest, still feeling a little annoyed for some reason. As much as she cared for her friend, he could be a pain in the arse at times. "Well, the least you could have done was knock!"

He looked at her strangely before looking back at the doorway. "But the door was open."

Hermione found that she didn't have a proper response to that. "Oh."

Ron gave her a satisfied looking smirk and crossed his arms over his chest, copying her irritated posture.

"So what did you want to tell me?" she asked, relaxing a little. She retrieved her discarded book, bookmarked the page she had been reading, and set it aside.

"It's Pig. He's back," Ron said simply.

Hearing that, Hermione anxiously asked, "Did Harry write?"

"I guess you could say that," he replied solemnly, shoving the piece of parchment at her as he sat down beside her.

Because of his close proximity, Hermione could feel the heat of his body next to her, and his presence filled her chest with a pleasant warm feeling she could not begin to describe or understand. She sighed deeply and began to look over the parchment.

They had been both very worried for their friend since school ended. They knew that Harry wasn't really dealing with what had happened to Sirius at the Department of Mysteries, and they were positive that his relatives weren't going to be supportive about it. In fact, they worried about Harry staying with the Dursleys at all. They hoped that the warning that Moody, Lupin, and Tonks gave his uncle at the train station was enough to keep them from making Harry absolutely miserable this summer.

They knew very little of what life was like for him there, mainly because Harry had said very little about them. The few words he did occasionally speak about them was troubling enough. Hermione knew that the Dursleys must be quite awful to him because Harry never wanted to go back there. He never wrote home to them and never received Christmas gifts from them. They had even once forced him on some sort of diet because of his cousin's weight.

Harry was very closed-lip about the whole affair, which led her to believe something more might be going on. Ron had been to the Dursleys before, but she never had. Hermione suspected that Ron knew a little more than she did about the Dursleys, but wasn't offering anything more to share on the subject. To be honest, they had never really discussed Harry's home life at any length with one another. It was hard to think that something might be happening to their friend, let alone voice those concerns aloud to somebody else. But they seemed to have an unspoken understanding that they were both worried that something more was going on at the Dursleys than Harry was willing to say.

At first glance, Hermione didn't understand why Ron had told her Harry had written back. The piece of parchment she was holding in her hands was the letter they had written to him. But turning the parchment over, she discovered Harry's response on the back.

_Hey everyone-_

_Everything is fine at the Dursleys. They are treating me great. I hope you are all having a good summer._

_-Harry_

"That's it?" Hermione asked lamely, turning the parchment over in her hands to make sure that she hadn't missed anything.

Ron shrugged, his arm brushing against her own so that it sent tingly sensation shooting down to the tips of her fingers. "Yeah, that's it."

"But it's so-"

"Short," Ron finished for her.

"And he didn't answer any of our questions."

"I know," Ron sighed. "His letters have always been short, but never this short."

"Do you really think the Dursleys are treating him 'great'?" Hermione asked hopefully, looking up into Ron's face.

"I don't know. Maybe the warning they were given by the Order finally worked or something," he said softly.

Hermione could tell by the tone of his voice that he really didn't believe that. "What are you really thinking?" she asked, setting the letter aside and turning her body towards him.

Ron was quiet for a long while, looking as though he were gathering his thoughts. When he finally did speak, he looked into her brown eyes and simply said, "I can't help but think that something is wrong."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, holding her breath now. She had feared the very same thing.

"I think they made him write those things," he said, looking away now.

"What?" Hermione asked, taken aback. "Why?"

Ron shrugged once more. "I don't know. It's just a feeling I have."

Hermione glanced at the discarded letter lying on Ginny's bed and couldn't help but nod in agreement. There was something strangely off about it. They sat in silence for several long minutes before Hermione found her voice once more.

"So what do we do?" she whispered, feeling a lump forming in the back of her throat. She was growing more and more worried about Harry the longer they sat there.

"The Order has been keeping a guard on him at all times. Maybe we should ask my dad if anyone has noticed something," Ron suggested.

"That's a good idea. If something were wrong, they'd have to know, right?"

"I guess so," he said, rising to his feet now. Hermione felt almost saddened that he was leaving so soon. "Let's ask at dinner."

She nodded in consent and then watched as Ron silently left the room. The tension in his body was evident. He was just as worried about their best friend as she was, if not more. She had asked him on more than one occasion if there was something going on with Harry that he wasn't telling her, but he had insisted that everything was fine. But there seemed to more to it than that.

Hermione lay back against the bed, feeling the worry clawing at her stomach. She just had to find out if Harry was okay. She would never forgive herself if something really was wrong and she never did anything about it.

She sighed loudly as Ginny entered the room, not realizing her younger friend had come up the stairs. "Everything okay?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah," Hermione replied. She sat up and plastered a fake smile on her face. She knew how much Ginny cared for Harry and she didn't want to worry her. Ginny could be quite melodramatic once you got to know her. She would fret endlessly if she thought something were amiss.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I just miss my parents. I didn't see them much this summer, and they are travelling now to a convention in the U.S," Hermione replied. What she said wasn't a total lie. Her parents were attending a convention, which is why Hermione had came to the Burrow, but that wasn't the true reason for her discontentment.

"That must be hard," Ginny said sympathetically. "You could always write a letter. That might make you feel better."

Hermione nodded in false appreciation. "That's a good idea. I think I'll go write to them now…"

Hermione quickly left the room before she was forced to lie anymore for her friend. It left her feeling quite awful. Looking back she caught Ginny's worried eyes and knew that her friend hadn't believed her little act. The youngest Weasley looked hurt as well, having been left out of something yet again. Hermione hurried downstairs, hoping to avoid her for a little while longer. For whatever reason, Hermione wanted to confide only in Ron just now about her fears for Harry.

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A/N: So let me know what you all think. As this story is already completed, you should be expecting updates everyday if not every other. Don't forget to leave me a review.


	2. Dinner Conversations

**Chapter 2- Dinner Conversations**

Dinner later that evening was the usual noisy affair. The endless chatter between his family members left Ron feeling annoyed as he struggled to find a lull in the conversation to bring up the topic of Harry. Finally, when he couldn't take it any longer he simply shouted over the din.

"Dad!" It appeared that his father hadn't heard him, so Ron raised his voice even louder. "Dad, I have a question!"

Startled by his youngest son's outburst, his father said. "Yes, Ron, what is it?"

"Yes, Ronnie, what perplexes you so?" asked Fred teasingly. Ginny snickered at him behind her napkin. She always ganged up on him with the twins.

"I want to know about Harry," he said, suddenly aware that all eyes were on him and that everyone had stopped eating. He looked to Hermione and saw her smile at him encouragingly.

"What is it you want to know, dear?" asked his mum, setting down her fork.

"Is he okay? I mean, the Order is guarding him, right?" he asked, not really knowing how to come out and say what he was really worried about.

His father looked at him strangely. "Of course. He is guarded around the clock. The Order members take shifts. I've been on watch quite a few times this summer."

"Did you see anything?" Ron asked. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

"What like Death Eaters?" asked George, looking quite serious for once.

"No. There hasn't been any Death Eater activity… if that's what you're asking, Ron?" said his father, looking earnest now.

The rest of the family was quietly looking back and forth between them, wondering what was going on. Ron remained silent, not sure what to say. How do ask your father whether or not he had seen his friend being mistreated?

"No, it's not," Hermione answered for him. "We're worried about the Dursleys. Have you seen Harry? Is he alright?"

Ron watched as his father quickly looked at his mother before sighing loudly. He grew more worried now. "Dad, is he alright?"

When his finally spoke, he said, "Ron… it's a difficult situation."

"What is that supposed to mean? Is he alright or not?" Ginny asked heatedly, speaking up now.

"As far as I can tell he's fine," his father began, his voice giving away how rattled he was by their questions. "I saw Harry two days ago during my shift and had a chance to speak with him. We're not supposed to interact with him, but he knows one of us is always there watching out for him. I was able to have a quick conversation with him while he was outside working on some chores. He looked okay, though I suppose Sirius's death is still bothering him. He seemed quieter than usual."

"But the Dursleys… " Hermione began. "They're not… being awful to him or anything, are they?"

His father grimaced, seemingly unsure of how to respond and Ron's heart clenched in fear of what he might say. "I'll be honest. It's something that we've been worried about. But we don't see anything out of the ordinary; besides the large amount of chores he does everyday. They are not particularly kind to him or sympathetic about his godfather's death, from what I can see. And he says that he doesn't get along with his cousin very well. But I haven't seen anything that would suggest otherwise."

Ron felt somewhat relieved, but one look at Hermione told him that she was still unsure about something his father had said.

"Excuse me, sir, but did you ask Harry about any of this?" she asked in a small voice.

His father nodded. "Yes, he said he was fine. And without any other proof to go on, I have to believe him."

Ron felt his heat clench once more. Harry always said he was fine, even when he was far from it. There could still be something going on. Hermione captured his gaze once more and her worried eyes told him that she was thinking the same thing.

"Why can't Harry just come here?" asked George.

Fred nodded. "Yeah. He'd be safer here with a wizarding family than a bunch of lousy Muggles."

"I'm sorry, but it's just not possible," their father replied.

"Why not?" asked Ginny, looking quite teary eyed now. "He stayed with us at headquarters last year after his run in with the Dementors. And the Burrow is warded now too. "

Their father shook his head. "Dumbledore insists that Harry's is safest with his relatives in Surrey. He has some kind of blood protection there and You-Know-Who can't get to him because of it. Unless we see something else going on there, I have to trust that Dumbledore knows what's best for Harry."

Seeing their disappointed looks, he added "If there was any way I could bring him here, I would. Please know that."

Obviously upset, Ginny quietly left the table and went outside. She had always been a little sensitive about Harry, much to Ron's chagrin. The rest of the family stayed quiet, picking half-heartedly at their uneaten food. No one seemed to be worried enough about this situation, in Ron's opinion. He sighed loudly feeling rather frustrated.

His mother smiled at him sympathetically. "I'm sure he's alright. Harry's a strong young man, and if anything were wrong he would get help, right?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders, wondering how accurate that statement was.

"I suppose you're right," Hermione answered instead.

"Can we go visit him to make sure everything is okay?" Ron asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not, Ron. His relatives would never approve… and it might cause Harry more problems," said his father. "They don't like our kind."

Ron nodded, trying to understand. He looked down at his still full dinner plate and found that he didn't feel like eating. His stomach was feeling funny from all of this worrying.

"Mum, I'm not feeling very hungry right now. May I be excused?" he asked.

She looked somewhat surprised but nodded just the same. Ron almost never missed a meal. He quickly left the table, ignoring the worried glares they were all giving him, and began to climb the stairs. When he reached the top, he entered his bedroom kicking aside the dirty laundry that littered his floor in frustration. He hadn't been in his room more than a minute when he heard Hermione softly knock and enter.

"I wasn't very hungry either," she explained. Ron shrugged and sat down on his bed, waiting for Hermione to do the same. She quickly plopped down beside him. "You're still worried, aren't you?"

Ron nodded. "I just miss him, you know?"

"Yeah, me too."

She leaned against him slightly, looking quite melancholy. "Tomorrow is his birthday. It's too bad that we can't go and deliver our presents in person," she said sadly.

Ron thought over what she said and a plan slowly began to form in his mind. Smiling at her mischievously he said, "Why can't we?"

Hermione gave him an incredulous look. "What do you mean, Ron? Your parents basically just told us they we were not allowed."

"Don't you want to go make sure he is truly okay yourself?"

"Well, of course I do, but we can't," she insisted.

"I think we can," he exclaimed. "And I think I know how we can do it."

Hermione looked at him skeptically. "What do you propose we do?"

"Tomorrow morning we'll tell Mum that we're bored and that we want to go into town. It's not too far to walk to from here and Mum usually lets us go at least once in the summer to get some sweets. When we get there we'll take the Knight Bus to Little Whinging."

"The Knight Bus? You mean that crazy purple thing Harry rode in before third year. He said the driver was absolutely nuts," she said exasperatedly.

"I know," he said, smiling mischievously. "It'll be great."

"Won't your Mum be worried when we're gone so long?" Hermione asked.

"I'll just tell her we ate lunch in town and then went swimming at the pond. It's too far to see from the house so she wouldn't really know the difference," he explained. Ron could see that Hermione was warming up to his idea. "We'll be back by late afternoon in time for dinner."

"Do you think it will really work?" she asked, smiling now.

Ron nodded enthusiastically. "Why not? Besides, if we do get in trouble, won't it be worth it to know whether or not Harry is okay?"

"I guess you're right," Hermione replied, finally agreeing in consent. "So we're really going?"

"Yup, and the best part is we'll be surprising him on his birthday."

Hermione smiled at that and then did something quite alarming. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks for being such a good friend," she whispered softly, giving him another squeeze before pulling away from him.

Completely taken aback, Ron could do nothing more than mutter unintelligibly something along the lines of, "It's no big deal."

Hermione smiled at him once more before leaving him, and his hormones apparently, on their own.

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A/N: We'll finally see Harry in the next chapter. Let me know what you think so far!


	3. Little Whinging

**Chapter 3- Little Whinging**

The next morning found them on the Knight Bus travelling through Surrey. The trip had taken much longer than expected, especially with all the stops along the way as passengers got on and off the bus. Hermione was feeling rather nauseous about the whole thing, thoroughly disliking the way the armchairs they were each sitting upon haphazardly swayed back and forth in the bus. Ron appeared to be enjoying himself, but Hermione was a little more than ready to finally get off the stupid thing. She was beginning to feel a little nauseous. Fortunately, after a long while they finally arrived in Little Whinging in an alley behind a set of shops.

Ron was mesmerized with all things Muggle and kept asking questions about everything he saw. Hermione answered as discreetly as possible, but found his questions rather irritating, seeing as he was slowing them down. As planned Hermione quickly bought a local map at one of the shops and discovered that they were within walking distance to Privet Drive. Spotting a deli, they decided to purchase some sandwiches, bags of crisps, and drinks to take with them. If Harry's relatives were still forcing his enormous cousin on a diet there was no telling the last time Harry had eaten well. They had also bought a small cake to celebrate. They stored all of the food in the knapsack Hermione was carrying.

Ron's knapsack contained Harry's birthday presents they planned to give him. Hermione had gotten him a talking homework diary to help him keep track of all of his assignments. Ron had gotten him large box of Bernie Bott's Every-Flavour Beans and a subscription to a Quidditch magazine.

Shouldering their loads, the pair walked quietly through the streets until they came upon the entrance to the neighborhood Harry where lived in. When they finally arrived at Privet Drive and saw house Number Four, Hermione stopped in her tracks.

"Is this it?" she asked, glancing towards Ron nervously.

"This is it," he replied.

"What are we going to say?" she asked. "I don't want to get Harry in trouble or anything."

"We'll just tell them the truth. That we are Harry's best friends and that we wanted to surprise him for his birthday. They don't have to know that we're worried about anything else," Ron replied.

"What if someone from the Order sees us? There is always someone on guard here."

They glanced around but found no one they recognized from the Order, not that they expected to anyway. They were probably well hidden, under disguise, or using some type of charm to hide their appearance.

"Then we'll tell them the same thing. I'm sure once we explain why we are truly here they won't have a problem with it. We'll just have to face my parents when we get home," Ron replied with a shrug, as if it was not a problem.

Hermione nodded, but still felt quite anxious. She wasn't sure how she had let Ron talk to her into this. She didn't really want to get in trouble, but she was desperately worried for their friend.

They walked up to the house taking in every bit of it. The flower beds were well manicured and the lawn meticulously mowed. A bright red Ford Escort sat in the drive way, newly washed and sparkling. Everything about the home was well taken care of and they couldn't help but think that it may have been Harry who had done all of the work.

Climbing up the steps of the front porch, Hermione reached up and knock on the door. They had to wait for quite for a few moments for someone to respond, but then finally the lock was unlatched and the door opened. Hermione held her breath in hopes that it would be their friend who would answer. And luckily Harry did.

He held the door ajar, his mouth slightly open looking completely dazed. A smile quickly spread across his face and his green eyes lit up brightly at the sight of his friends. Ron and Hermione beamed their own smiles back at him, grateful to see their best friend.

"Hi guys, what are…" Harry began, but a noise from some distant part of the house caused his initial excitement to change. The smile he wore quickly fell from his face and his eyes began to glance about worriedly. "What are you doing here!" he whispered fiercely.

"Hi Harry," Hermione said softly. "We wanted to surprise you on your birthday. We decided to bring your presents in person."

Harry looked back into the house and the leaned forward and closed the door behind him slightly, as if to block their conversation from prying ears. "Birthday?" he asked.

"Yeah mate. You must have noticed that we didn't send your presents at midnight like we usually do," said Ron. "Did you forget the date?"

Harry ran a nervous hand through his messy hair and laughed shakily. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"Well, may we come in or would it be easier if you came outside?" asked Hermione.

Harry looked pensive for a moment as the thought about what she had asked. "Listen, I appreciate the trouble you went through, but it would be better if you guys just left. Sorry," he said finally, as he tried to close the door.

"No!" shouted Ron, pushing his hand against the door to prevent if from closing. "We're not leaving until we spent some time with you. Why are you rushing us off so fast? Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just-" Harry began, still trying to close the door.

"Who are you talking to? Who's there?" came a sharp voice from inside.

"No one, Aunt Petunia. They were just leaving," Harry tried to explain, turning his head to speak to his aunt behind him. "Just some salesmen."

Petunia opened the door and her eyes narrowed when she saw who was standing on the other side. She stared at Ron in particular, her lips pursed into thin little lines illustrating her obvious distaste.

"These aren't salesmen," she said, looking down at Harry now, who seemed to shrink under her hateful glare. "You lied to me."

Harry opened his mouth in his defense, but nothing came out. Instead he looked back at his friends and said, "Just leave you guys. You're going to get me in trouble here."

Petunia nodded. "Yes, leave!" she said, turning to close the door.

"Wait a minute…" Ron began, looking obviously upset with the infuriating woman. "Let us just explain."

"No. I know who you are, and you have no right to be here," she spat.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked. "What do you mean?"

"Hermione, leave it be. Just go!" Harry pleaded.

His aunt ignored him and answered her question. "That boy's family hurt my Dudley with those ridiculous sweets," said Petunia Dursley, pointing a finger at Ron accusingly. "We don't like your kind here and I want you to get off my property."

Hermione held up her hands hoping to placate the woman. "I'm sorry for intruding upon you like this," she began in the sweetest voice she could muster, feeling a bit like Dolores Umbridge. "But we've come all this way to see Harry on his birthday. We brought him lunch and would like to spend some time with him. What's the harm in that?"

Petunia looked incredulous. "What's the harm? How dare you! Who do you think you are young lady?"

"I said go!" Harry shouted at her angrily.

She gave Harry a pointed look and continued her tirade. "My name is Hermione Granger, ma'am, and this is Ron Weasley. We are Harry's friends, as I'm sure you have gathered by now. And we _will_ see Harry today, whether you like it or not!" Hermione said in a stern voice, realizing her attempt at sweetness had not worked. She knew in heart that something wasn't right here, and she just had to see Harry at all costs.

Petunia looked about, hoping the neighbors hadn't heard the out burst. "Keep your voice down! I will not be yelled at by some floozy!"

"Hey, that's uncalled for!" Ron shouted, stepping towards Petunia.

Hermione grabbed him by the arm and held him back. "Mrs. Dursley, if we aren't allowed to see Harry we're going to have to go back to Dumbledore and tell him how unaccommodating you were about all of this. He will not be pleased considering he sent us all this way to check on Harry's well being. Do you honestly want us to report such an unwarranted attack on my character? Or the fact that you are being so unreasonable?"

Ron and Harry both looked at her in surprise. She didn't blame them. She didn't know where that had come from either. She just hoped that Harry's aunt didn't catch her lie as well.

"Dumbledore sent you?" she asked, looking worried.

"Yes. And it seems that I may have to report back to him that I felt that Harry wasn't being treated properly here, seeing as it is his birthday and all and he wasn't allowed to see he his friends," Hermione replied, standing up a little straighter. "Dumbledore may want to send the Ministry to check up on this matter."

Petunia looked like the wind had been let of her sails. After a moment, she said, "He's being punished…"

"For what?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Harry muttered angrily, earning him a look from his aunt.

"Even still Mrs. Dursley, we only want to see Harry a short while. I'm sure you can make an exception just this once. Unless of course you have birthday plans for him later," Hermione continued. "Most families make it a point to celebrate a relative's birthday, so if you'd rather we came back later to join in the festivities I'm sure Dumbledore would understand. We could even being more friends if you like."

Hermione knew that Petunia wouldn't admit that they wouldn't be celebrating Harry's birthday this year, or any other for that matter. Realizing that she would have to let them see Harry or run the risk of even more witches and wizards coming to her home, Petunia finally consented.

"Fine. You can have your lunch, but I don't want you anywhere near the house. Go the park or something," she said irritably.

Hermione gave her a wide false smile and used her Umbridge impression once more. "Thank you, for accommodating us Mrs. Dursley. Professor Dumbledore will be happy that Harry's relatives thought enough of him to let him spend some time with his friends." She turned to Harry and took him by the hand. "Come along Harry."

Harry allowed her to pull him out of the house, but then ripped his hand from hers and stormed past them. Petunia looked as though she wanted to call him back and say something more to her nephew, but opted instead to slam the front door. Ron and Hermione followed Harry down the path to the sidewalk. Harry seemed to look around for his "guard," but like Ron and Hermione earlier he didn't seem to find anyone.

Harry was quite a few feet ahead of them, seemingly intent on making it to whatever park they were going to quickly. Hermione wondered why their friend was walking so much faster than them or why he wasn't even talking to them for that matter.

"Harry?" Hermione called to him, picking up her pace to try to walk beside him. Harry took one look at her and began walking even faster, as if he was trying to lose her. She looked over at Ron hoping that he would help.

"Hold up, mate!" Ron called after him, reaching out to grab him by his sweatshirt. "We want to talk to you!"

Harry finally stopped dead in his tracks and whipped around to face them, shrugging Ron off of him. "Why did you come here?"

Surprised by his tone, Hermione looked to Ron and saw that he wasn't sure how to deal with their friend either. His moods could be so unpredictable and the last thing they wanted was to upset him any further.

"We just wanted to see you. We're worried about you," Hermione explained.

"Well, don't be." Harry crossed his arms over his chest and looked away. Then he added, "There's nothing to worry about."

"But we are worried and that's not going to change just because you don't want us to," said Ron.

"Whatever," Harry muttered, looking somewhat defeated. "Let's just get to the park."

He stormed off once more, leaving Ron and Hermione completely bewildered. In all of their plans to come visit their friend, they had never expected Harry to react quite this way. Realizing that he wasn't in a mood to talk right now, they quickly followed behind him, hoping that once they had Harry at the park that he might be more willing to discuss what was going on with him.

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A/N: So far all of your responses have been positive. I'm curious to see what you thought of Harry's reaction to his unexpected visitors. Harry is an angry boy, isn't he? Don't worry, more will be revealed in the next chapter.


	4. The Park

**Chapter 4- The Park**

Arriving at the park, which wasn't more than a few of blocks away, the trio sat down at a picnic table under the shade of a large oak tree. Harry sat across from them, his attention turned towards the sounds of kids and their families playing on one of the climbing frames a short distance away. He seemed intent on completely ignoring them if possible, his jaw firmly set in anger. He was acting worse than he did last summer, when Harry felt everyone was keeping him in the dark about what was happening in their world. Hermione and Ron knew they would have to be patient.

"So Happy Birthday, mate. How's it feel to be sixteen now?" asked Ron.

"Alright, I guess," was Harry's response.

"Harry, would you like some lunch? We brought you a sandwich and some crisps if you'd like some?" Hermione asked, rummaging through her knapsack to pull out all of their lunch items.

Harry finally looked at them and his face softened slightly. At the mention of food there was a longing in his eyes that he couldn't hide.

"Go ahead mate, help yourself," said Ron.

Harry finally nodded and grabbed the sandwich nearest to him and began to peel back the wrapper. He took a large bite and looked as though he was thoroughly enjoying it. "Thanks," he muttered.

Hermione passed out the bottles of lemonade and was about to grab a sandwich for herself, when Ron picked up the last two. Thinking he was going to eat both hers and his own she opened her mouth to protest, but then realized what his true intent was.

"Here you go mate," Ron said, handing him the other two sandwiches and all the bags of crisps. "Hermione and I ate on the way over to your house. We brought you some extra, just in case."

Hermione smiled at Ron in admiration for his little white lie. It was easy to see how much he cared for their small friend. They were both going to go hungry this afternoon, but that didn't seem to matter just now.

"But I can't eat all of this," Harry protested through a mouthful of food.

"That's alright," said Hermione, catching on to what Ron was doing. "You can save some for later."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely," she replied.

Harry nodded and continued to munch solemnly, pausing only to take sip of lemonade now and then. Hermione and Ron sipped their own lemonades and talked about what was going on at the Burrow this summer, hoping to fill the void. Hermione talked about her family as well, and how she had decided to stay at the Burrow while they were abroad. Harry merely nodded to the things they said while he listened. The longer they talked the more comfortable he seemed. Harry even smirked at something funny that Ron said the twins had done, looking more like himself and less like the angry teenager they had brought with them.

Finally having a chance to study Harry up close, Hermione was certain something _was_ wrong at the Dursleys. There was just something off about Harry. His face, which was mostly hidden by his long messy black hair, seemed thinner than normal. She realized that Ron had probably caught this as well and it had prompted him to offer Harry the rest of their food. And if she looked closely, there appeared to be a bruise fading on his left cheek, which hinted at how bad things may have gotten at home.

He was wearing a pair of baggy jeans and had on a grey hooded sweatshirt, despite the warm temperature outside. He was sweating slightly, and beads were forming on his forehead, dampening the hair that lay against it. And for some reason, Harry had cut holes into seam of each sleeve, through which he had stuck his thumbs through so that the worn and slightly soiled cuffs covered most of his hands. From what she could see of them his hands they looked quite rough, possibly from all of the chores the Dursleys undoubtedly made him do.

"Aren't you hot?" Hermione had inquired at one point. He merely shook his head in response.

"Nope."

"But you're getting all sweaty," Hermione insisted, crinkling her nose up in distaste.

"I'm fine."

After a short while Harry had finished eating one and a half sandwiches and a bag of crisps, looking thoroughly satisfied, and had set aside the rest of his food for later. Hermione hesitantly began what she knew was going to be a difficult conversation. As much as she would rather just give him their gifts and eat the cake, she knew that Harry's welfare was more important. And if they gave him the presents now, he might try to leave right away. It was better to wait, she decided, and see what they could pull out of Harry first.

"We've told you all about us, so now it's your turn Harry. How has your summer been?"

"Fine."

"What have you been up to?" she asked.

"Nothing much," he replied, looking towards the playground again.

"Have you gotten any of your homework done?"

"Not really."

"Why?"

"Too busy."

"Doing what?" asked Ron.

"Stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" asked Hermione.

"I don't know," Harry continued in his monotone voice.

Growing irritated with their friend, Ron asked, "Are they making you do chores?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah. They always do."

"Do they let you do anything else?" he asked. Harry shrugged, not really replying to the question. "How are they otherwise? Are they making you go on any crazy diets with your cousin?"

"No."

"Then how come you're so thin?" Hermione asked now.

"I'm not!" Harry protested, looking surprised by her observation.

"Yes, you are. You've lost weight. We can tell," she replied.

"So."

"So, we're worried about you, mate," said Ron, looking obviously uncomfortable that he was having this conversation with his friend. "We just want to know you're okay."

Harry sighed before responding. "I guess I'm just not eating well or something."

"How come? Are you thinking about Sirius?" Hermione pushed.

Harry eyes suddenly flashed with anger. "I'm just not hungry, okay!" Harry shouted.

Hermione was taken aback. She really hadn't expected him to react like this. She had thought he might be sad after everything that had happened, but she had not anticipated such raw anger. "Harry we just want to help you," she said softly, hoping to calm him.

"Well I don't need your help. So just leave me alone," said Harry rising to his feet and checking the time on his watch. "Thanks for the food and all, but I think I will be going."

"But we brought you presents too!" Hermione exclaimed, hoping to keep Harry here for a little while longer. It was obvious that he wasn't going to be very forthcoming about anything right now.

"Sorry, but I gotta go," he said turning to walk away. "You can give them to me later."

"This conversation is not over Harry!" shouted Ron, jumping to his feet now too.

Harry turned back looking incredulous. "Yes, it is. I need to get home. I really shouldn't have been gone this long."

"Why?"

"No reason. I've just got stuff to do," Harry responded quickly.

"Is there something wrong? Did we get you in trouble?" Ron asked.

"Does it matter?" Harry scoffed.

"Yes, especially if they are going to lock you up in that blasted cupboard or something!"

"What?" Hermione asked, inhaling sharply. She had never heard about his before. _Why had she not heard about this before?_

"You shut up about that Ron!" Harry shouted, coming around the table to face him.

"NO! I'm not keeping quiet about it any longer. It's obvious that there is more going on at the Dursleys than you've told me!" Ron shouted. "You promised me that you would tell me if something was wrong."

Harry looked exasperated. "There's nothing wrong! Just leave me alone!"

"Nothing wrong? Then what's with the bruise on your cheek?" Ron asked, pointing to Harry's face.

Harry's hand flew to his left cheek, covering the offending mark. Clearly he had not realized that it was still there. "It's nothing. Dudley and I had a row the other day."

"I don't believe you."

"So don't. I don't care!" Harry shouted.

"What cupboard?" Hermione asked, still thinking back to what Ron said.

Harry looked at Hermione and then toward Ron and pleaded with him. "Don't."

"If you won't tell us what is really going on, I'm going to tell her everything!" Ron threatened.

Harry just shook his head, looking very much like a wild animal ready to spring at any moment. "Don't do it."

"Tell us what's wrong! Are they hurting you?" Ron pleaded.

"No!"

Ron turned back to Hermione, who was still seated at the table and said, "The cupboard under the stairs was Harry's bedroom until he came to Hogwarts. They would lock-"

Ron didn't finish his sentence because Harry suddenly launched himself at Ron, his fist connecting with his face. "You son of a bitch!" he screamed as they both fell the ground. "I trusted you!"

"Harry! Stop!" Hermione yelled, jumping up from her seat. She wanted to pry the two apart, but she also trusted Ron to handle the situation.

Ron wrestled Harry as best he could trying to avoid the punches and slaps Harry was throwing at him. Some of the families near by watched the fight in alarm, but no one did anything to break it up. Being much taller and heavier than Harry gave Ron an advantage and he soon got the upper hand. He pinned Harry beneath him and grabbed his wrists to prevent him from hurting Ron or himself. Harry winced as if in pain as he struggled to get free and Hermione wondered what had pained him so much considering Ron had been as gentle as he could with him.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron shouted, spittle flying into Harry's face. "Why do you put up with it?"

"Let go of me!" Harry yelled, wincing once more.

"They starve you! Make you do endless chores! Lock you up in your bedroom and put bars on your window! Feed you cold cans of soup through a cat flap in your door! They belittle you constantly! Why do you put up with it?" Ron yelled. "Who knows what else they've done to you!"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked feeling thoroughly horrified now. She hadn't known about any of this. Why had Ron kept these secrets from her?

"The twins and I rescued Harry before second year. Had to rip the bars off the window just to get to him," Ron answered quickly, still trying to wrestle Harry beneath him.

"Just shut up!" Harry screamed up at him, still looking furious as he struggled.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked Harry, tears forming in her eyes from the knowledge that her friend had suffered so much more than she had expected.

"He made me promise not to tell anyone," Ron explained. "I wanted to but- OOF!"

Harry had finally managed to get a hand loose and had punched Ron in the stomach. He tried to twist out of his friends grasp, and nearly managed to escape before Ron caught the hem of his sweatshirt. In their struggle, Harry's sweatshirt and the green t-shirt underneath had ridden up his torso revealing bruises at various stages of healing.

Hermione gasped in horror realizing what that meant and sank back onto the picnic bench. Ron caught sight of it as well. There was a moment when Ron and Harry stared at one another searchingly, not moving a single muscle. Then slowly Harry stood up, looking intent on backing away. Realizing this, Ron reacted quickly and proceeded to rip the sweatshirt off his friend's body completely before he could escape. What they found was even worse. Unable to control herself, Hermione began to cry softly. Harry was so dumbfounded by their discovery that he stood there motionlessly, looking quite numb.

Left only his green t-shirt, Harry was left vulnerable to their scrutiny. He was thin, so very thin. And along with the various bruises running up down his arms, there were a series of neat little cuts on the inside of both his wrists and forearms. Some looked raw and fresh, where as others had already begun to scab over.

Ron grabbed Harry's hands and pulled him towards him, studying the cuts carefully. Realizing that he had nothing left to hide, Harry didn't even protest or fight back. He just stood there, shaking slightly, staring down at his own arms as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing either. All the fight seemed to have left him.

"Harry, who did this to you?" Ron asked, looking at those precise little incisions in horror.

Harry looked away and Hermione realized that they must have been self-inflicted. "Ron, I think…"

"Did you do this?" Ron continued, ignoring Hermione completely. Harry didn't say anything as he gently pulled his hands back from Ron.

"But why?" Ron whispered with tears in his eyes.

Harry just shook his head sadly and tried to back away again.

"You wouldn't understand…"

In one swift motion, Ron reached out and roughly pulled Harry towards him into an embrace. He held him tightly, his arms wrapped around Harry's frail frame, whispering something in his ear that Hermione couldn't hear. She just watched helplessly, marvelling at how close they seemed. She wanted to go to them and hug them both as well, but she felt that it would somehow be an intrusion. So she watched instead.

Harry sagged against Ron for a moment, listening to whatever Ron was saying. But then he began shaking his head again and gently pushed Ron away. Backing up a few feet, he grabbed his discarded sweatshirt and quickly put it back on. He continued to back away, looking haunted and very scared. His eyes were filled with tears now too.

"Harry?" Hermione called after him, rising to her feet to follow him.

"Just… just leave me alone," he said softly.

Harry turned away from them and began to walk back to Privet Drive. Hermione tried to follow, but Ron grabbed her wrist to hold her back.

"He's upset. Just let him go, Hermione," he said. "We have the information we need to get him out of there."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, surprised by how well Ron was handling the whole situation. He had really matured over the years. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, to ask him, but in the end curiosity won out.

"What did you say to him?" she asked, wanting to know the sweet words Ron had whispered in Harry's hear.

Ron looked away. "It doesn't matter…"

* * *

A/N: That was a very angsty chapter wasn't it? Poor Harry. We'll see more of Harry and the Dursleys in the next chapter. Thank you for reading and reviewing.


	5. The Guardian

**Chapter 5- The Guardian**

From out of nowhere, Remus suddenly appeared at their side. "That didn't go well, did it?" he asked, startling them greatly.

"You were here the whole time?" Ron asked, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Remus nodded. "I'm on guard duty today. I was under a disillusionment charm. At first I was going to send you both straight back to the Burrow, but when I heard the tongue lashing Hermione gave Petunia Dursley, I had to admit I was curious. I've been worried about Harry as well, and he wouldn't open up to me. I was hoping that you might be able to."

"Well, he didn't really open up to us either," Ron replied, wincing at his sore stomach. He was sure that his eyebrow was a little swollen and that his lip was split. Hermione noticed his condition as well and winced in sympathy. "I kind of had to do it by force."

"I know," Remus replied.

"He hates me now," Ron added sadly. "Probably will never want to talk to me again."

"You're a good friend," Hermione said, still somewhat tearful. Then she did something she had never done before and took his hand into her own. Ron had no idea what had compelled her to do it, but he was grateful that she had. "You did what you thought you had to do to help him."

Ron nodded, but inside he was feeling rather guilty. He had promised Harry never to reveal his secrets to Hermione and now he had gone and done just that. He felt like he had betrayed his best friend, and a knot formed tight in his chest. Ron had tried to make Harry understand how much he cared for him and that they were going to take care of him, but it had caused Harry to push him away instead.

"We are helping him right?" Hermione asked Remus.

"Of course," said Remus, nodding. "I plan to remove him from the Dursleys immediately. I just wanted to talk to you first so that you both knew that Harry was going to get help. Speaking of which-" he paused as he watched Harry turn a corner in the distance. "I need to go. Gotta keep Harry in my line of sight. Go back to the Burrow and I'll be in touch."

Remus hurried off after Harry. One look at Hermione and Ron knew that neither one of them was comfortable leaving Harry just yet.

"Wait! We're coming with you!" Hermione called after their old professor, releasing Ron's hand.

Ron grabbed his knapsack and jogged to catch up to their professor, leaving Hermione who seemed to be snatching up the rest of Harry's forgotten sandwiches and crisps from the picnic table. Why she thought it necessary to collect it at all was beyond Ron's understanding. She stowed them once more in her own knapsack and slung it over her shoulders, before pumping her legs to catch up with him. It took some effort, but Hermione finally caught up to Ron.

Remus glanced over at them as they jogged up beside him, but didn't say a word. They quickly walked back to Number Four in silence, worried about what may happen to their friend when he got home.

Harry was just ahead of them and didn't appear to notice or care that they were behind him. He determinedly walked the last few blocks towards his home, but stopped dead in his tracks when he finally came into view of Number Four. He stood there for a few moments staring at something, his shoulders drooping noticeably in despair. He shook his head sadly as it drooped downward, his gaze focused on the ground now. He seemed rooted to the spot, unable to move.

"What do you suppose is wrong?" Hermione asked.

Ron shrugged his shoulders, looking just as bewildered.

"His uncle is home. That's his car," Remus quietly replied, pointing towards the black Mercedes parked next to the red car now.

Ron felt his stomach drop with worry. Petunia would have undoubtedly have told her husband about Harry's visitors. _What if Harry was going to get in trouble now? What had they done?_

"Harry, wait!" Ron shouted, running towards his friend now.

Ron was still a half block away from him, and he feared that Harry may not have heard him. He could hear Hermione and Remus running behind him, their footsteps smacking the sidewalk loudly. Harry either didn't hear or was ignoring him, because he quickly walked around the house and entered the backyard, disappearing from their sight.

Arriving at the house only moments later, they quietly followed Harry into the garden. He was already on his knees and hard at work, determinedly weeding one of the flower beds. As they approached Harry, he picked his head up and turned to look at them. Ron could see in his eyes that he was desperate, that he wanted out, but didn't know how to ask. A small part of him felt angry that Harry didn't think enough of himself to get out of this situation. Didn't he understand how important he was to them? To him?

"What are you doing?" Ron asked incredulously. "We need to get you out of here!"

Harry shook his head. "I have chores to do. I need to finish before my uncle notices that I-"

"Boy!" yelled a voice from the doorway. "Get in here, now!"

Harry's head whipped towards the direction of his uncle, who was now looming in the doorway at the back of the house looking quite furious. Vernon Dursley's face was an interesting shade of purple, and it seemed as though his eyeballs might pop out of his head. Harry stood up and automatically took a few steps forward, looking like he was going to follow his uncle's orders, but stopped again to look back at his friends, who were staring at him in disbelief.

"Harry, you don't have to this," Remus tried to explain.

"Boy! Get over here!" yelled Vernon, appearing now on the patio and looking around the back of the house into the neighboring yards. "Those people are dangerous!"

Ron knew that his words were for the two neighbors listening nosily from their garden a few houses away. He so badly wanted to shout back at the man, but more importantly he wanted to yell at all the people who could have possibly seen that something was wrong here and never did anything. He held his tongue instead, something nearly impossible for a Weasley to do. Harry needed him to stay calm and rational. He glared at the neighbors instead and they seemed to get the hint and went inside their homes.

"Harry…" Hermione began softly. "We're leaving. Come on," she added, reaching for his hand but missing.

"Boy!"

Harry flinched and took another step towards his uncle's voice, almost instinctively. His posture told of how frequently he was shouted at like this.

"Don't," said Ron, taking Harry gently by the elbow. "You don't have to go back there. That's why we're here. To take you away. You don't have to live like this."

Harry's eyes sadly focused on his friend, as he shook Ron off. "But I do… I have no where else to go… I'm protected from Voldemort here…" he said dejectedly. All of the rage Harry had displayed earlier seemed to have evaporated the moment he stepped onto his relative's yard. What was left was hollow resignation, a miserable fate that Harry seemed to believe was his only choice.

"You can come home with us," Ron insisted.

"No, I can't… you won't be safe. I'll just get you killed," he replied, in the same sad monotone voice. "Just like Sirius."

Hermione sighed deeply. "Sirius's death isn't your fault," she said, reaching out to put her arm around his shoulders. They never realized just how much guilt Harry was still carrying around with him.

He shrugged her away. "You don't know that!"

Hermione looked hurt, and Ron reached a hand out to steady her. Harry turned away from them, crossing his arms over his chest looking quite upset about the whole situation. He seemed so vulnerable, as though he might fly to pieces at any moment. As despondent as he was there was real fear in his eyes as well. It was though his "fight or flight" response could kick in at any minute.

Remus seemed worried that Harry might try to run, so he placed a firm hand on his shoulder. Harry flinched noticeably and Remus quickly released his hold looking very apologetic. "Harry, what happened to Sirius wasn't your fault. I was there, remember? It was nothing more than an unfortunate accident," he said, his voice choked with emotion. "But that doesn't matter right now. What does matter is getting you as far away from these awful people as possible. We would have gotten you out of here sooner if we had known what was going on."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Hermione asked, her eyes filled once more with tears.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Why? Why wouldn't we?" asked Hermione. "Is there a reason why you didn't tell anyone?"

"I deserve it…" he mumbled.

They were so involved in their conversation that no one noticed Vernon Dursley stalking towards the foursome until he was almost upon them.

"That's right, you do!" Vernon shouted at Harry. "Now get in the house this instant."

"Leave him the hell alone!" Ron shouted, raising his fists, knowing that using his wand wasn't an option. He wouldn't be any good to Harry if he was brought up on charges of using underage magic.

Vernon shoved Ron aside before he could strike him and grabbed Harry roughly by the arm. "Get inside!"

"Don't touch me!" Harry shouted. He seemed to panic and began to desperately struggle to release his uncle's hold.

Ron jumped to his feet as fast as he could when he heard Harry cry out, but found that he was too late in coming to his defense. Remus had beaten him to it. Their old professor had taken out his wand and had it pressed tightly to Vernon's neck, pushing him back towards the house and away from Harry.

"If you _ever_ lay a hand on this boy again, I will kill you myself," Remus growled, looking thoroughly menacing. "Do you understand?"

"I know your rules, you c-can't just-" Vernon began blubbering.

"Shut up! Get back into the house, now!" Remus yelled. He then used a spell that caused the large man to fly across the yard and blast through the back door, knocking over his wife, who had been nosily watching from the doorway. It was a good thing the neighbors weren't still watching.

"That was brilliant!" Ron laughed as the Dursleys painfully untangled themselves and ran in fear to some other part of the house. His laughter was short lived however when he remembered how Harry had been yanked about just moments ago.

Turning back to his friends he saw Harry and Hermione standing together quietly. "Are you alright Harry?" he heard Hermione ask. Harry nodded, but said no more. He turned his back to them and walked away slightly, taking in shaky breaths.

"Hey mate. You don't have to be embarrassed or anything. It's not your fault your uncle is a complete arse," Ron tried to say encouragingly.

Harry didn't respond and acted though he hadn't even heard. Hermione tried this time. "Everything will be okay Harry. We'll take you back to the Burrow and you'll never have to come back here again."

"It'll never be okay," Harry said softly.

Ron made a move to go to his friend, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. "Just leave him be, Ron," said Remus, echoing something that Ron had said earlier to Hermione.

"But-" he began to protest.

"He's upset and dealing with a lot right now. Give him some time," Remus explained, seeming much older than his years.

"He's right," said Hermione. "We shouldn't smother him right now."

"Fine, but shouldn't we be going?" Ron asked irritably.

Remus nodded. "Go to Number 7 Wisteria Walk. There you will find a lady by the name of Mrs. Figg. Tell her we need to use her fireplace. Use it to Floo back to the Burrow. Harry and I will be around shortly."

"Why aren't you coming with us?" Hermione asked.

"Because Harry needs to get his things… and I don't think he wants you here when he does that," Remus explained, glancing in the direction of the house.

"But-" Ron began to protest again, still not liking the idea.

"Do as I say," said Remus sternly. "And don't worry. I will keep Harry safe."

There was an odd gleam in his eye very reminiscent of the werewolf that lay inside, and for a moment Ron felt afraid for the Dursleys. If they did try anything, there would be a price to pay. They both nodded in understanding, staring at Harry's small form standing apart from them a few feet away.

"We'll see you in a bit, mate," Ron called to him, but got no response.

Shaking his head sadly, Ron then took Hermione's hand in his own and led her out to the front of the house and down the street. The pair walked away in silence, each hoping that everything would go all right. It was clear Harry couldn't handle much more.

* * *

A/N: I tried to keep the scene with the Dursley simple. I dislike it when writers get carried away with revenge plots and rescue attempts. What did you think of Harry? He was difficult to write for in this chapter. Part of me wanted him to stand up to his uncle in front of his friends and display some of the anger he had showed before, but it just didn't feel right. The anger was because he didn't want anyone to know what was happening and because he didn't feel like getting in trouble. Since both occurred anyway I felt that Harry might react the way he did in this chapter instead. Well, as always, please leave a review.


	6. Mrs Figg

**Chapter 6- Mrs. Figg**

They walked quietly beside one another for about a block or so. Unable to stand the tension any more, Hermione finally said, "I just don't understand why he never said anything."

"I don't either," Ron replied solemnly. "Maybe he just wanted to keep it all a secret."

"But they were abusing him, Ron," she said, still trying to comprehend what happened to their friend. "Don't you understand? You don't keep secrets about something like that!"

Ron stepped dead in his tracks, taking his hand away, and looked at her incredulously. "Wait a minute. Do you think this is my fault?"

Hermione crossed her arms and said, "You knew about all of that other stuff!"

"Yeah, and so did my parents! That's the reason we tried so hard every year to have him come stay with us, but I never knew that they were actually hitting him. Don't you think I would have done something about it sooner if I had?" Ron replied.

Hermione nodded sadly. "I'm sorry… It's just… I don't understand why he opened up to you about some of this stuff and not me. Doesn't he trust me?"

"I don't think it has anything to do with trust," said Ron, picking up the pace once more. He was quiet again for a moment while he chose his next words. It was a habit that Hermione was slowly growing to appreciate. She loved this thoughtful, caring side of Ron. He finally finished his thought and said, "I think he is just so used to it that he doesn't see that it's wrong anymore. Or that he deserves better…"

"Is that why-" Hermione began unsure of what she wanted to say.

"What?"

She took a deep breath. "Do you really think that he did that to himself?" she whispered sadly. "That he would hurt himself."

"I don't know… it looks that way," he said sadly, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Hermione felt compelled again to reach out and hold Ron's hand as they walked. Ron was such a good friend and she couldn't imagine her life without him now. He looked at their hands awkwardly at first and a blush spread across his freckled face. They had held hands a lot today, though neither of them had voiced anything aloud about their feelings. But that didn't bother Hermione. She knew that he felt it too. This felt right somehow, and simply holding hands became a source of comfort to each other as they walked to their destination. It was only natural that they would comfort one another like this in a time of need. He pulled her along as he picked up the pace, eager to get home now.

They arrived rather quickly to the ordinary looking house. It had been easy to find having already walked down the street Mrs. Figg lived on their way to the park. An elderly woman answered the door when they knocked.

"Hello. Can I help you?" she asked.

"Mrs. Figg?" asked Hermione.

"Yes. Do I know you?" the woman asked, smiling sweetly.

Hermione shook her head. "No, but I think you may know Remus Lupin. He sent us here because we need to use your fireplace to get back home. He will be bringing a boy named Harry here in a short while and will need to use your Floo as well."

"Remus? Really?" Mrs. Figg asked. "Well, this is all very unusual, but I suppose it will be alright."

"Well, it's sort of an emergency," Hermione tried to explain.

"An emergency? What's happened?"

"We can't really say."

Mrs. Figg nodded in understanding. "Okay, but is Harry okay? Did something happen to my dear boy?"

Ron butted in before Hermione could respond. "Wait a minute. Do you know Harry?"

"Of course, I used to babysit him when he was younger," she replied with a smile. A tawny colored cat appeared in the doorway and she carefully stooped down to pick him up. "Dumbledore had asked me to look after him."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

Mrs. Figg narrowed her eyes, seemingly suspicious of all of their questions, but answered her just the same. "My job was to make sure that he didn't come to any harm."

Ron rolled his eyes in disgust. "You're kidding me right? Didn't you notice that the Dursleys were complete and utter gits?"

"Ron!" Hermione admonished.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. Is Harry okay? Is something wrong at the Dursleys?" Mrs. Figg asked, standing aside and holding the door open so that they could come into the house.

"You could say that," said Ron, pulling Hermione inside behind him.

Hermione crinkled her nose in disgust as they stepped inside the dimly lit foyer. There were cats everywhere and the house smelled of cat litter and moth balls. Overall it was decidedly unpleasant and she couldn't wait to get out of there.

Mrs. Figg looked quite worried now and clutched her hand to heart in alarm. "What's happened?"

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look and came to a silent understanding that it would probably be alright if they shared a little bit of information. They feared that the woman might have a heart attack otherwise.

"The Dursleys were mistreating Harry. Remus is removing him from their care," Hermione explained.

"Oh dear. I had no idea," Mrs. Figg desperately tried to explain. "If I had known…" By the look in her eyes it seemed as if she felt truly awful about the news that Harry was being abused.

"I know," said Hermione, knowing exactly how the old woman felt.

"If you don't mind, we'd like to use your Floo now," said Ron, growing agitated.

"Yes, of course," said Mrs. Figg. "The fireplace is right over here."

She led them into the living room, shooing her many cats out of the way, and handed them a pot of Floo powder. "If there is anything I can do-" she began.

Hermione nodded and stepped inside the fireplace beside Ron. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on tight. Ron called out their destination as he threw down the silvery powder. Before they knew it they were standing in the fireplace of the Burrow in front of Ron's very stern looking mother.

* * *

A/N: I know that was a really short chapter. Sorry about that and for the wait. My beta had some exciting real life stuff going on and didn't have the time to get to this chapter right away. Everyone cross your fingers that she gets the job! Well, I know this chapter was a bit anticlimactic and I'm sure you were expecting more with Remus and Harry. But this fic is only told through Ron and Hermione's POV, so it is a bit limited in that respect. Don't forget to review!


	7. Waiting

**Chapter 7- Waiting**

"Where could they be?" Ron asked in frustration, he was nearly pulling his hair as he paced back and forth in front of the kitchen hearth. "They should be here by now."

"I'm sure it's only a matter of time," said his Mum, watching her son from where she sat beside Hermione at the kitchen table.

"You said that half an hour ago!"

His mother sighed loudly. "Yelling at me is not going to bring Harry here any quicker."

"I know," said Ron dejectedly. "Sorry."

He slumped down into a chair across from them feeling quite anxious. It had been more than two hours since he had left Harry with Remus and he was beginning to worry that something may have gone wrong. Remus had promised that they would follow them shortly. Shouldn't they have been here by now?

The pair had even fire called the headmaster and informed him of the situation. Dumbledore had been obviously upset about it all, but had promised them that he would look into it and send them news if he heard anything.

Overall, Ron and Hermione had been fairly lucky that they hadn't gotten into more trouble. His mother had been very surprised to see them show up in the fireplace, especially when they were supposedly visiting a Muggle town nearby. When they finally calmed his mother down and explained that they hadn't been kidnapped by Trolls or trampled by wild Hippogriffs, she stopped her tirade long enough for them to explain where they had gone. Although she had been furious that they would risk something so dangerous as traveling alone and unsupervised, she realized that their intentions had been good. They had only had their friend's best interest at heart.

Thankfully his siblings had decided to go into town to Ottery St. Catchpole when they heard that was where Ron and Hermione had supposedly gone. They weren't expected back for another hour or so, much to Ron's relief. He didn't feel up to sharing news about Harry just now, especially since he didn't know how Harry would feel about it. Ron had already shattered his trust once today and he didn't want to push his friend away any further by blabbing Harry's secrets to his family.

When Ron thought he couldn't wait a moment longer, the fireplace glowed bright green, signaling that someone was coming through the Floo. Ron jumped up eagerly, but his excitement to finally see his friend safe and sound was short lived when only Remus stepped through.

"Where's Harry?" Ron asked quickly, still waiting for Harry to step through the Floo.

"He's not coming," Remus said softly.

Hermione jumped up in alarm. "What? Why?"

Remus took a deep breath and said, "Why don't we all sit back down?"

"No, I think I'll stand, thank you very much. Now, where's Harry?" Ron demanded, feeling his heart thundering in his chest now.

"Ronald, don't speak to your professor like that!" his mother scolded him.

"It's alright, Molly. I'm not his professor anymore," Remus said softly. "Harry is at Hogwarts."

Some of Ron's anger began to dissipate as he thought about what that could mean. "Oh. He needed to be healed, didn't he?"

"Yes," said Remus. "He did."

Ron nodded at that. He had needed to be healed by his mother after the scuffle he had gotten into with Harry, so he could only imagine how much Harry needed to be healed after such prolonged abuse. Deciding now that he needed to sit down, he pulled out a chair for himself and helped Hermione sit down beside him. Remus followed suit and sat at the head of the table looking thoroughly exhausted. He rubbed his face tiredly.

"So when is he coming?" asked Hermione.

Remus shook his head. "He's not."

"What? Why?" they both exclaimed.

Remus sighed deeply and looked quite sad about everything. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but Harry doesn't want to see either of you just now. He'll be staying at Hogwarts until school resumes."

"I don't understand… Is he mad at us? Did we do something wrong?" Hermione asked tearfully.

"No, I don't think it's that," Remus replied.

Ron simply couldn't understand why Harry would deny seeing them. "Then what is it?"

Remus was quiet for a long while before responding. "Madam Pomfrey was able to heal his wounds… but not his heart. He's still hurting emotionally and needs some time to himself to work everything out," he said softly. "There is much more going on than we all realized…"

Remus broke off there, his voice choked with emotion. His eyes became glassy and looked towards the ceiling for a few moments while he composed himself.

"Will he be, alright?" asked his Mum.

"In time… yes."

"But those cuts…" Hermione began, wiping the tears from her face.

"I know," said Remus. "I don't understand it myself, but Dumbledore is trying to find him a therapist to help in the healing process."

"Can we visit him?" Ron asked, feeling disappointed that he wouldn't be spending the summer with his best mate.

Remus shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid not. Harry wants to be left alone for now."

"I just don't understand…" Ron said sadly.

His mother reached out and took his hand in her own, rubbing it comfortingly. "I'm sure he's just upset about everything. He'll want you to come around in time," she stated optimistically. Remus looked doubtful but nodded just the same.

"Can we write?" asked Hermione, looking a little more composed.

"I can't promise that Harry will write back, but I don't see that it could hurt," he replied.

They both nodded, knowing that they would try writing everyday if they had to in order to make sure Harry understood how much they cared about him. They were all silent for a while as they took everything in.

"Can I offer you some tea?" asked his mum finally, breaking the quiet.

Remus smiled appreciatively but declined. "No, thank you. I need to be heading back. If you have any questions, please let me know. And I will do my best to encourage Harry to see you both," he said, rising from his seat.

"Are you staying at Hogwarts?" inquired Hermione.

"For now," he said, stepping into the hearth. "I'm petitioning to gain guardianship of Harry."

Ron and Hermione nodded solemnly, and watched as the man walked back to the fireplace.

"Wait. Professor?" called Hermione.

He gave her a waning smile. "Call me Remus."

"Okay, Remus," Hermione began, looking awkward at using an adult's first name. "Can you do me a favor? Can you give Harry his presents for us? In all that happened today I almost forgot all about them."

"I'd be happy to," he replied.

Hermione grabbed the presents and the cake from one of the knapsacks and handed them to him. "And tell him that we said Happy Birthday," she said.

"Of course."

"And that we miss him already," added Ron. "That we're sorry…"

Remus nodded, smiling down at the two of them in admiration. "Try to stay positive. At least he's no longer with the Dursleys, right?"

They nodded in return and watched in trepidation as their former professor returned to Hogwarts with their gifts. They could only hope that Harry would get the help that he needed and that he would return to them.

Ron couldn't have felt worse than he did in that moment. Unable to stand it any longer, he stormed all the way upstairs and collapsed onto his bed. The weight of everything that had happened today finally caught up to him. He had tried to stay strong all afternoon in anticipation of Harry's arrival, but now his refusal to even see them had shattered what strength he had left. Ron couldn't help the tears that began to fall and sobbed into his pillow so as not to be heard. He heard someone enter his room and sit down beside him. In his depressed state he half expected it to be his mother, but found that it was Hermione instead.

"Ron, are you alright?" she asked, rubbing his back.

"No," he sobbed pitifully, feeling a little embarrassed that he was crying in front of her but too upset to really care. "You were right. This was all my fault."

"I never said that!" Hermione protested.

"You said that I knew about all that stuff that you didn't. How is it not my fault? I should have said something about all of it long ago," said Ron, rubbing away his tears and sitting up to face her. "I should have _done_ something!"

"Ron, I'm sorry I made you feel that way. It's not your fault!"

"But they were hurting him Hermione." Ron sniffled. "Merlin, we don't even know how bad!"

Hermione began crying now too. "I don't know what to say… what to do… I don't know how to make this better."

"Neither do I…" whispered Ron.

He leaned his head forward and Hermione did the same until they were touching foreheads. They both laughed awkwardly through their tears. There was a moment in which Ron thought they might kiss, but they ended up hugging instead, holding on for dear life. There was a hole in both of their hearts and they knew that it wouldn't be filled until Harry was well again.

* * *

A/N: Did you all like the chapter? Poor Harry. He doesn't even feel like he can face his friends. He is still angry they found out and rather embarrassed. I don't think he understands how much his refusal will do to his friends. One more chapter to go! Don't forget to leave a review.


	8. Reunion

**Chapter 8- Reunion**

The month that followed Harry's birthday was difficult to bear. They never once received word from Harry, although they wrote him nearly everyday. Remus assured them that he was doing better with the therapy, but that he was still keeping to himself. They tried not to take it personally, but it felt as if they had lost their best friend.

Fred, George, and Ginny were eventually filled in on what had happened to Harry when they realized that Hermione and Ron were upset about something. Thankfully it was Ron's parents that had told them, though Hermione was fairly certain they didn't tell them everything. Ginny, as expected, took the news especially hard. She barely slept or ate the first week after she found out. Over time, she began to act more like herself, but it was clear that she still felt badly for Harry.

Hermione had her good days and bad. There were times when she actually forgot for a moment all that had happened since the end of school, then it would all come rushing back and she would feel guilty for forgetting and trying to move on. It wasn't as if they had actually "lost" Harry, as they did Sirius, but it certainly felt like they had at times.

Ron was having an even worse time of it than her. He seemed to alternate between sadness and anger. Some days he acted as though he hated Harry for pushing them away like this. His moods were hard to predict, and it caused many fights between them. It was as though they were missing a part of themselves and that they couldn't function properly with out it.

There were a few blessed moments in which Ron and Hermione would allow themselves to open up to one another, and in those moments they found salvation in each other. They would reminisce about their adventures together and how things might be when they returned to Hogwarts. They would even hold hands like they did on Harry's birthday, or sit close to one another, or hug the other in reassurance. Their intimacy had innocently continued to grow, though they had yet to dare to kiss one another.

Hermione tried not to think too much about it. Matters of the heart were a wonderfully complicated thing and she knew that if it were meant to be, everything would work out in the end. For the time being, she focused on getting through the summer and anticipated when they could be reunited with Harry once again.

September 1st finally arrived, and Hermione and Ron eagerly looked forward to seeing their friend. They had searched hopefully for him at the train station, but Harry was no where to be found. They had known that Harry would probably just stay at Hogwarts, but there had still been the hope that he might join them on the annual train ride to school to uphold tradition.

Although they shared a compartment with Neville, Ginny, and Luna, they said very little the whole ride there. At one point, Malfoy had come around to goad everyone as usual.

"Where's Potty? Did he finally get a clue and decide to ditch the two of you?" Malfoy sneered.

There was no way that he could have known about what happened this summer, or how he had pushed his friends away, but his comment had cut a little too close to home. Ron rose from his seat and pulled out his wand with such ferocity that even Malfoy looked afraid.

"Leave. Now," said Ron through clenched teeth.

Malfoy looked as though he wanted to say something more, but then thought better of it. "You better watch your back Weasley," he spat, before turning and leaving with his two goons in tow.

Hermione reached for Ron's hand and pulled him back to the seat beside her. She could feel him shaking slightly so she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. They didn't have to say a word. They both knew that what Malfoy had said was the fear they had in their hearts. They were both terrified that their friendship with Harry was irreparable and that he would still push them away when they arrived to school. Hermione ignored the look their friends exchanged and concentrated on the scenery outside. It wouldn't be long now.

When the Hogwarts Express finally pulled into the train station in Hogsmeade, the pair ran ahead to one of the very first carriages and hopped aboard, anxious to get to school. Their ride towards the main gates had felt agonizingly slow, but they arrived soon enough. They quickly entered Hogwarts through the front entrance and surprisingly found someone waiting there for them.

"Professor… I mean Remus. It's good to see you," said Hermione, as she looked around for Harry.

"Actually, Hermione, I'm going to have to ask you to call me Professor once more," Remus said, smiling proudly.

"Do you mean you will be teaching here again?" asked Ron excitedly.

"Yes, I am."

"That's great! We've never had a better Defense professor," Ron admitted.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence," Remus replied. "How are you both?"

"We're fine. But we'd like to know about Harry. Is he still here? He hasn't written," said Hermione.

"Yes, he is," said Remus, smiling now. "In fact, he is waiting for you in the tower. He'd like to see you before the feast."

"Really?" asked Hermione, suddenly filled with relief.

Remus nodded and then laughed at them as they took off running through the school. They breathlessly arrived at the portrait that guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower, but nearly panicked when they realized they didn't know the password yet. Thankfully, the Fat Lady swung open anyway and they stepped inside.

They stopped short when they saw Harry standing motionlessly across the room facing the fireplace, his arms crossed over his chest. Unsure of what to do, they stood there silently waiting for Harry to make the first move. Realizing that he had not heard them enter, Hermione called out to him. "Harry?"

Harry turned around and unfolded his arms so that they dropped by his sides as a smile slowly spread across his face. That was all the assurance that Ron and Hermione needed. They quickly crossed the room and embraced Harry warmly at the same time. Their arms wrapped around him and he seemed to lean on them for support, though Harry couldn't seem to return the hug himself. They stood that way for several minutes, relishing the feel of having their small friend in their arms.

"We've missed you so much," Hermione said softly.

Harry leaned into them a little more, his breath hitching slightly as though he may cry. Ron reached up and wrapped his arm around Harry's neck, pulling him towards him slightly. Hermione could hear him whisper in Harry's ear, "It's alright, mate."

Harry nodded gratefully and the pair finally pulled back, getting good look at him now. He looked much better than he did the last time they saw him. Harry had a gained a little weight, though his school robes were still a bit loose fitting, and he was sporting a new haircut that suited his naturally messy hair. But there was still a sadness in his eyes, and it was clear that he was worried about what they might say.

Hermione didn't want to upset him, but she just had to know why their best friend had pushed them away. Afraid of the answer, she couldn't help the tears that started falling down her face. "Why didn't you write? Why didn't you want to see us?" she asked, quickly wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, feeling foolish for being so emotional.

Harry looked at both of them pitifully. "I…I don't know how to explain it."

"Try," said Ron firmly.

Harry was silent for a long while as he worried his bottom lip between his teeth. He looked across the room, away from them, and stared. Several minutes passed in silence before he finally spoke. "It's just… I… I never wanted either of you to know anything about…" Harry finally said. "I…I felt… _Why is this so hard?..._ I just… I was afraid of what you might think… or find out…"

"Why?" asked Hermione sadly. "What happened?"

"It's private, okay?" Harry pleaded desperately. He looked absolutely miserable about it all. "I've had an awful time of it for a very long time and I don't want to go into it. At least not right now…"

"But-" Hermione began. Ron had cut her off.

Putting a hand on Harry's shoulder he said, "We understand Harry. But you never have to be afraid to tell us anything. We'll never think of you differently. We care about you mate, we always will. But you have to understand how scared we were… we didn't know what to think when we saw… you know…."

Tears finally sprung to Harry's eyes, as he realized that Ron was indicating the self inflicted cuts that they had found on his arms. "Everything… everything was so messed up. I didn't know how to deal with it…"

Ron pulled Harry to him in a rough embrace, and said, "It's okay, Harry. You can tell us when you're ready."

Hermione joined them once more, wrapping her arms around Harry as well and resting her head on his shoulder. Harry leaned into her embrace and rested the side of his face against her hair. "Please don't push us away again," she pleaded.

"I won't," Harry said softly. "I'm sorry…"

Harry finally raised his arms and pulled his friends closer to him. Although it was unspoken, all three of them could feel it. They weren't truly whole unless they were all together. This was how it was meant to be. They stayed like this for a long while, until Hermione realized how late it was getting. Someone would notice soon that they were missing and come looking for them.

"We should be getting to the feast," said Hermione, always the sensible one. "Someone will notice that we're gone soon."

Ron and Harry both nodded, knowing that she was right. They walked out, arms around each other. Only when they reached the doors to the Great Hall did they pull apart.

The sight before them was mesmerizing. Although they had experienced the back to school feast every year it was still a sight to behold. The Great Hall was ablaze with the light of hundreds of candles that hovered just below the enchanted ceiling filled with twinkling stars. The golden plates reflected their light making everything seem aglow. Dumbledore had apparently made his speech because food was already overflowing from every platter. The heavenly smells wafted towards them, making their stomachs growl in anticipation.

Ron quickly led the way to the Gryffindor table and the threesome sat down at the end, ignoring the looks from their curious house mates wondering about their tardiness. Ron sat across from Harry and Hermione. When it was clear that they were still at the center of attention, he gave the others a glare as if to say, "Mind your own business."

Thankfully, it was enough to stop their inquisitive stares, at least for now. As everyone started to help themselves to glorious food, Hermione felt a hand slip into her own.

She looked down at her lap and saw that Ron and had reached under the table and had secretly taken not only her own, but Harry's hand as well. He gave them both a reassuring squeeze before pulling away and grabbing a turkey leg from a nearby platter.

Then the red head shot the both a million watt smile and said "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's eat!"

Harry and Hermione laughed at that and shared a smile. Together they both began adding the delicious food to their plates, thoroughly enjoying being in each other's presence once more.

Midway through their meal, Hermione caught Harry looking towards the staff table. Looking in the same direction she saw Remus watching him carefully. Their professor smiled reassuringly at Harry and then nodded, silently telling him that "everything was going to be okay."

And it would be too. Hermione and Ron would see to that. Never again would they allow Harry come to harm. He was with them now, where he should be.

The End.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it. What did you think? It was a little anticlimactic, I know. I just couldn't picture Harry spilling everything right away. I've thought about doing some companion pieces, possibly with Harry's POV on everything that happened or how the trio's romantic relationship develops. Let me know what think I should do.

This story came about because I am always doing searches for stories with similar plot lines. There are loads of stories in which Severus or Sirius or some other Order member discovers the truth about Harry's home life, but it's rare to find any that involve both Hermione and Ron. I personally never found any that met my satisfaction. (If you know of any good ones, let me know). So instead I began fantasizing how a story like this might go. As with all my fan fics, it bounced around in my head until eventually I had to get it written down lest it torture me until I did. I swear I crave angst. I know it was rather cliché, but we all love them. Don't forget to leave me a review!


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